A stylish alternative to a conservative VW (Seat Altea 1.9tdi Stylance)

Member Name: ScottishWestie

Product:	Seat Altea 1.9tdi Stylance
Date:	21/10/09 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks, equipment, space, nice to drive

Disadvantages: Some interior details, relability issues

When you think of all the great car producing countries around the world you automatically think of the USA, Japan, Germany & that once great car producing country, the UK.
Spain is not one you think much of but in actual fact both Nissan & Ford produce cars in Spain & the country has been producing its own cars since 1953, namely Seat (pronounce it See-at).

Early Seat models were made under license from Fiat in Italy but it helped to kick start their motor industry, Seat vehicles were only sold in Spain. It wasn't until the mid 1980s that Seat took the brave step to produce a model of its own, the Ibiza.

This 'supermini' was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro & boasted as having "Italian styling & German engines" as Porsche were responsible for the engine design. It was known for having a rather quirky interior instrument layout, marked by a lack of control stalks. The indicators were operated by a rocker switch & the headlights by a sliding switch. It was the first official Seat car imported into the UK & although build quality left a lot to be desired it established Seat in the UK.

It wasn't long after that when Seat were taken over by Volkswagen & today all the Seat models are based on VW models but with a less conservative look both inside & outside. Seat cars appeal to a younger market & tend to be more stylish than the VW models they are based on.

THE SEAT ALTEA

It is difficult to 'pigeon hole' the Altea, its like a tall five door hatch back or a mini MPV, either way it looks very stylish although looks are a subjective matter. For this particular test I drove the 1.9 turbo diesel model which came with a reasonable high level of equipment.

As you can imagine with links with VW the Altea is finished off to a very high standard, the doors have a solid feel to them & close with a reassuring 'clunk' each time. The standard of paintwork & panel gaps is excellent, this looks & feels like a premium product.

The key has a 'switch blade' type function for the ignition & three remote buttons on the fob, press it once just to unlock the drivers door, you need to press it again to open the remaining doors & tailgate. The tailgate also has a separate button for remote access.

Open the door & step inside & rather than lower yourself in to the car you merely step inside, great if you are elderly & find it difficult climbing into cars. The seating is very comfortable & there is loads of space for five adults with decent amounts of head, leg & shoulder room. The boot is vast & would carry five peoples worth of baggage without much problems, a pull out tonneau cover helps to cover the luggage area rather than a shelf.

The dash layout is more stylish than the conservative layout of VW models, it wraps itself around the driver but it's a shame that Seat hasn't made it truly suitable for right hand drive. The centre console is sculptured away to allow easy access to the handbrake lever for left hand drive models, less so for right hand drive. The dials are also set out to suit left hand drive rather than right hand drive, but having said that you soon get used to it.

The instrument panel has the speedo on the right, a small rev counter in the middle & the fuel, temperature & warning lamp readout on the left. The heating & ventilation controls look overly complicated with separate temp setting for both passenger & driver, is this really necessary when you are sitting so close together?

There is a good quality radio CD below the heating controls but the black on green display looks very 1980ish, there is a separate socket for an ipod on the centre console with an awkward flap to protect it. The rest of the switchgear is scattered around on the right hand side of the dash, door & centre console including a switch to switch on or off the traction control.

The materials used inside are of high quality & give me the impression they will take a fair amount of abuse. The throttle pedal is fixed to the floor instead of hanging down but it works really well, there is also a generous foot rest next to the clutch pedal.

Front seats are very comfortable with generous range of adjustments including seat height & lumbar support. The rear seats fold down to increase luggage space & are easy to operate. There is ample cubby space on the doors & dash including two hinged areas under the front seats to hold a first aid kit or similar.

A nice touch is sun shades for the rear door windows that roll into the door when not in use & clip onto hooks on the door frame when required; they cover the entire window area & are really effective in hot weather.

Equipment levels are good with electric windows, central locking, radio CD, climate control, traction control & alloy wheels.

DRIVING THE ALTEA

It is easy to get a comfortable driving position & a good view of the road ahead. As you start the car up it leaves you in no doubt that it's a diesel. As far as diesel engines go this are not the quietest diesel engines on the market despite generous sound deadening material fitted.

As you move off performance is very brisk indeed & as you gather speed the engine noise becomes less intrusive. The gear change is pleasant enough & the clutch pedal light & smooth, the brakes have a reassuring feel to them & have no problem stopping the Altea at various speeds.

For such a tall car the handling is safe & predictable & encourages spirited driving around corners, the ride is smooth & the car absorbs bad surfaces really well.

CONCLUSION

All in all, a very impressive car indeed using tried & tested VW mechanicals with a more stylish interior & body. On the day I took it for a 60 mile run I met a service manager at a local Seat dealer who explained that these cars have their fair share of problems. A generous warranty will cover anything that will go wrong but this has to be kept in mind when buying one.

Would I buy one, it's not for me, but based on a 60 mile run I must say I was quite impressed with the Altea, It was well finished & very roomy, if Seat could get the reliability issues sorted out this would be real cracker of a car.

Summary: A stylish & spacious car for the family

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